Posting on absence is fun.
657 words; this turned out huge.
It always started with the coyote. She could not fault Lubomir for where he began, for she knew the surname of 'Holocaust' to be attributed to a coyote family within Inferni, and was able to recognize that the beginning of a story was not necessarily the beginning of the truth. For instance, should one ask about Shadowed Sun, it was likely that the storyteller might begin at the founding of the pack, or when the fire began in Bleeding Souls. It was impossible to discern where the story truly began. Was it at Moondust Wolfen's birth? Omoi's birth? Mordulin's takeover of Jaded Shadows? Tayui and Fatin's accession to leadership in Jaded Shadows? Or simply the beginning of everything, for that influenced all that came after it.
Even so, Tayui wished to know where the fight truly began. Had this coyote, Asphyxia as Lubomir called her- a peculiar name in its own right- begun the war with her actions? She had seen instances of violence against wolves, even those of her own pack. She had learned of Deuce's son's death, once a member of Jaded Shadows. It had been unfortunate, but it seemed as though the boy had entered the clan's territory and ended up dead. From what she had gathered, those who trespassed on Inferni's boundaries were killed if deemed to be a threat. Shadow had been deemed a threat and murdered; brutally and viciously. Her stomach turned as she remembered the day Deuce had brought her the news.
She nodded slowly as Lubomir continued to speak, noting the standard declaration of war. An attack, a rebuttal, and the beginning of a conflict. She wondered how many had died already, and how many wished they were. War was a disgusting monster that she had read about time and time again, and experienced in multiple occasions. She did not want to see this land tainted by the blood of any canine or friendly creature. This was senseless murder- not even the equal of murder for food. It was murder for hatred.
"If you do anything for one side, the other will believe you represent your entire pack. If what you say is true, Asphyxia's actions acted on account of all of Inferni. If we aid Inferni in their struggle, we might be seen as the enemy or the traitor. The stigma against the coyotes run deep. Even so, our offers of help might be rejected, for the coyotes certainly have no reason to trust us." She frowned. "And if we aid Dahlia de Mai, we risk drawing attention to ourselves from Inferni, and we do not want that. I've seen them destroy a pack before." Her frown deepened as she paused. "I'm sorry, Lubomir. I cannot allow this pack to be sacrificed. I have no connections with Dahlia de Mai. If it were still being led by Colibri Soul, I might, but there is no one I have any connection to. As for Inferni, I have yet to speak to Gabriel. I spoke with his mother, Kaena, when she was leader of it some time ago, and her message was quite clear. As long as we do not enter their lands looking for trouble, she will not attempt to annihilate us. Lubomir, you may have to break your word to the wolves of Dahlia de Mai. It is in the pack's interest that we do not form any enemies through affiliation. Hopefully we won't do this through neutrality, either." She refrained from sighing, slightly overwhelmed by the magnitude of the situation. She hoped that this war did not tear the lands apart. She did not want to see the pack she loved broken a second time. If she had to ask a pack member such as Lubomir, one whom she respected to a high degree, to break his promise to potentially save the pack, she would do it. Perhaps it was ruthless, but it had to be done.